Leading People through COVID-19 (Part 5) – Leading the end of furlough process in an emotionally intelligent way

Many organisations have done a stellar job up to now of leading their employees through COVID-19, but how they re-board furloughed staff feels like another key leadership milestone. With the market, operational, and safety challenges of a return, it would be understandable if the main focus is on the administration of the process whilst overlooking the cultural issues. How significant is this? Have you ever worked in a company which has been poorly merged and felt the undercurrent and divisiveness of a two-tiered culture? It has the potential of people feeling excluded and can lead to unfair and unreasonable assessments about people from either side. If your organisation has a mix of furloughed and others who have not been, the one thing you cannot do is ignore it and assume that within a few weeks it will be old news. Taking a positive perspective, it provides another opportunity to reinforce an inclusive environment.

The government’s job retention scheme, and how companies have applied it, will no doubt save many organisations from extinction and will hopefully reduce job losses. It was designed as a huge force for good, to benefit companies, employees and the economy. However, the perceptions and reality of those who have worked through and those who have been furloughed is likely to be different.

For those reading this I am sure there is no debate required on the need to act empathetically in how we re-board furloughed people, but rather how practically to achieve that. We could just say “welcome back” in a warm and cheery voice, but a more measured approach is appropriate in this case.

To help our thinking and to shape a sensible and appropriate approach let us explore a metaphor:

You are going on holiday with a large group of friends for 2 weeks. You are at the gate and ready to board the plane, when half of your friends are told that, due to overbooking, they are being ‘bumped’ but not to worry – before they know it they are in the airport bar with free food and drinks tokens, a substantial credit note good for multiple future flights, and a promise of the next available flight out. As it happens many flights are full and it takes 4 days for your ‘bumped’ friends re-join the group.

How does it feel to be bumped and separated quite unexpectedly? There is no doubt a range of feelings for those that travelled and those that were waiting with uncertainty to find out when the next available flight was. Each person will have been impacted slightly differently, and the reality is some of shine was taken off the holiday for all. How could you make the best of the situation and put some of that shine back on the holiday, especially as your friends re-join you? A few suggestions: it would be a nice touch to greet them in the hotel lobby (or even at the airport) and make clear how much they have been missed and that the real holiday starts now. What we should avoid is telling them how lucky they are to have vouchers for future flights, or mention that “I googled it and the reason they were bumped is because they bought the cheapest ticket”.

So how do you approach re-boarding your colleagues who were furloughed? You want the entire group to feel valued, respected, and included. What will help achieve this?

• The best approach is to bring everybody back on the same day. This reduces the risk of making a fuss about the first to return, but rather neglecting the others who come later.
• Ensuring all our employees appreciate the magnitude of the tangible and intangible impact of the job retention scheme on the business – the financial and practical difference that furlough has made and the potential consequences if it hadn’t been enacted.
• Reinforcing that the rationale, and the decision to furlough, was intended to safeguard the entire business and 100% of its employees, and the decision-making process was an objective and commercial exercise and no reflection on individuals.
• Let the returning staff know how they as people and their roles have been greatly missed by you, their colleagues.
• Acknowledge the extra effort from those who remained at work as well as potential risks taken
• Acknowledge the feelings which must have come with being furloughed: the uncertainty and having something taken away from you.
• To share a bit more than perhaps was possible (or permissible) of what it has been like the last 8 weeks and how the department has been operating.
• Giving all employees the opportunity to recognise and appreciate the important work which has been undertaken by employees over the last 8 weeks, especially given the reality of navigating personal, health and work-life balance challenges as well.
• Tap into the renewed energy of those returning to work
• Focus on getting everyone involved in making the best of the remaining part of the ‘holiday’ or year!

A socially distanced or virtual team re-boarding meeting: Introduction – the last 8 weeks have been professionally and personally challenging for us all and before we all get busy, I wanted to take some time to acknowledge this Welcoming back our colleagues – What we have missed most about you is… Invite the furloughed colleagues to share the biggest challenges of being furloughed and also the best bits… Colleagues who worked through lockdown share: – What has been most tough about working through lockdown? The work highlights of the last 8 weeks… Publicly recognise the hard work of those employees who have worked through lockdown, being specific about each individual’s contribution with examples Repeat the message of travel from the top leaders Share the remobilisation priorities, goals and behaviours

If you need any resources or want to chat things through don’t hesitate to drop me an email.

I hope those of you leading people find this helpful at a time when we are all managing our own personal chaos!

mike@pilkingtonleadership.co.uk